US Reportedly Seeking Regime Change in Cuba By End of Year

The Trump administration is reportedly seeking a regime change in Cuba by the end of the year, according to the Wall Street Journal (Center bias).

The Details: According to the outlet, senior US officials are looking for members of the Cuban government or other insiders who are willing to negotiate a transition away from the communist regime. It said the Trump administration has assessed Cuba's economy is "close to collapse," experiencing frequent blackouts and a shortage of basic goods and medicine, and that its government has "never been this fragile after losing a vital benefactor." As of now, the Journal reported there's no publicly available detailed plan for what a transition looks like. It also said that while the administration hasn't threatened to use military force, Trump officials told the outlet President Nicolás Maduro's arrest "should serve an implicit threat."

For Context: On Jan. 3, President Trump announced US forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after a large‑scale military strike on Venezuela. According to BBC (Center), 32 Cuban armed forces were killed during the operation. BBC reported that Cuba, a long-standing ally of Venezuela, had been supplying Maduro with personal security detail for years. US and Cuba relations have been historically uneasy after the Cuba Revolution in 1959 when the US placed an economic embargo on the country. This was paused briefly during President Obama's administration, but was overturned during Trump's first administration.

Initial Reporting: The Wall Street Journal first published the report. It outlined internal conversations and emphasized no clear plan had been established. It also explained the history between the US and Cuba relations saying, "The regime has withstood years of intense U.S. pressure" and quoting a former Obama administration official who said Cuba is "a much tougher nut to crack." 

From the Left: Mediaite (Lean Left) said the plan was part of Trump's "Donroe Doctrine" philosophy to "assert US dominance" in the west and "push out Russian and Chinese influence." Daily Beast (Left) wrote the plan continues Trump's "newfound interventionist streak" as he's "defied" the promise for no new wars in his second term. It juxtaposed the regime change to other Trump administration actions, including Trump's new "Board of Peace," citing critics who said it was a "MAGAfied" version of the United Nations.

From the Right: ZeroHedge (Lean Right) noted "growing unease" over Trump's interventionism, including among conservatives, and that some worry a collapse of the Cuban government could cause a humanitarian crisis. Blaze (Right) framed the action as Trump "making it abundantly clear" that his strategy to "restore American preeminence" was not "empty rhetoric." It wrote, "Maduro was the first leftist dictator removed from power this year, but he may not be the last." The Daily Signal (Right) emphasized support for regime change, writing, "A majority of the 2.4 million Cuban Americans in the US oppose the island's communist regime and want to see an end to nearly seven decades of dictatorship." It quoted US lawmakers who said, "It is time to bring freedom to the people of Cuba."

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